Surfer Plays the Hero in Beach Rescue

Mikey Wright helps save a struggling swimmer in Hawaii
By Newser Editors,  Newser Staff
Posted Jan 2, 2021 9:09 AM CST

A pro surfer helped prevent what could have been a beach tragedy in Hawaii, and it's captured in video you can see here. Australia's Mikey Wright was filming the surf from the beach in Oahu on New Year's Eve when it became clear that a swimmer was in serious trouble in the heavy waves, reports the Guardian. "He's gonna need to be saved," a post at FortheWin quotes Wright as saying. He hands his phone to his wife, and she can be heard yelling, "You can't save him," as he heads toward the surf.

Wright, 24, can be seen the grabbing the swimmer—it turned out to be a woman—and helping her withstand the huge waves crashing down on them as he gets her closer to shore. Other beachgoers helped drag her to safety. Neither the unidentified swimmer nor Wright were seriously injured. "She was trying to come in (over the rocks) and I said, 'We have to go down the beach’, Wright tells Australia’s Telegraph. "We ended up grabbing a hold of her and going down with the current. I just said to her, don’t let go and hold on.'" (More surfers stories.)

Get the news faster.
Tap to install our app.
X
Install the Newser News app
in two easy steps:
1. Tap in your navigation bar.
2. Tap to Add to Home Screen.

X